Sayonara
by Shokora
Summary: A saddish tale where Gohan battles the unknown satsujinsha, but mostly himself... My first dbz fic, and it's a long one. ^.^ Plz r&r! (I warn you that I'm not totally done writing it yet!)
1. Sayonara *Prologue*

SAYONARA

This is my first dbz fanfic ever, so plz dun be too harsh with flames. ^.^ When I first started this, I was allll over Gohan, so this fic kinda centers around him, but in a sad way… plz r/r! Ja! ~Vivi-sama

Humming to herself, the young black-haired girl swept gracefully across the kitchen. The timer went off and she pulled out an array of meat from inside, placing it in the table along with the bowls of steaming rice. The many bowls of steaming rice. The girl's blue eyes sparkled. _It's probably not enough, _she thought to herself. _A saiya-jin's stomach must be the largest thing in the universe...it will always be an enigma to me. _Grinning, the girl wiped her hands off and yelled loudly. "Gohan! Pan-chan! Dinner's ready!"

She sat down with a sigh of relief, ready to start the meal. Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, she called again. "Gohan! Pan-chan!"

_It's get cold if they don't come down soon, _she thought worridly. She sighed, her bouncy mood slowly dwindling away in the silence.

_Zip._

Jumping at the sudden, silent sound, the girl quickly turned around. "Gohan-kun? Is that you, dear?" Her eyes darted around the room quickly, but nothing but the load of food on the table was present. "Gohan-kun? _Gohan-kun?!_"

_Zip._

Another movement. Quickly, she got into a fighting stance. _It can't be Gohan...I sense...I sense an evil presence..._ A series of silent movements followed, too fast for Videl to see but slow enough so she was aware of them. _I think he's over there...I hear someth-_

A slash of blue struck her, then darkness.


	2. Sayonara *Chapter One*

Chapter one

Hiyas peeps! Here's the first chapter in my lil story… kinda saddish, I think, but I try. ^_~ Aw, my Gohan-chan… plz r&r! Thankies! Luv, ~Vivi-sama

Chapter one

too late. Holding back his tears, he clung on to Pan tightly. _If only I had been there when it happened...if only I had stopped the killer...if only she hadn't been wished back with the dragonballs once already...if only..._ Gohan shook his head off of guilty thoughts, and worked on comforting the sobbing Pan in his arms. "It's alright, Pan-chan...don't worry, everything will be alright..."

A head placed itself on Gohan's shoulder, and Gohan smiled.

"I'm sorry Gohan," his green mentor said gravely.

Gohan nodded. "I'm sorry too. Arigatou, Piccolo-san." His smile quickly faded away, for the moment of happiness had passed. "I just can't believe this happened...but I'll be alright. I'm more worried about Pan-chan here."

"I - I..." Pan wiped away her tears furiously, but more kept streaming out. Gohan's gi was quickly soaked right through. "Ka - ka - kaasan's _gone!_ Oh, Touchan!" Burying her face back into Gohan's shirt, she muffled her shaking wails.

"Pan-chan!"

"Obaasan!" Pan released her grip on her father and ran into ChiChi's arms.

"Touchan. I'm glad you're here." Gohan forced a smile, but it was hard to do that once again. Memories of Videl kept crossing his mind, and it was all he could do not to break down and cry. But he couldn't; not with Gokou, ChiChi, GyuuMao, and Goten standing right there in front of him. He had to be strong. For Pan, for everyone...but mostly for himself.

Gokou looked at his son, his usual bright eyes darkened with grave. "I'm sorry about what happened, Gohan-kun. Videl was a great person, eh?"

"H-" Gohan swallowed, clearing the lump that formed in his throat just a moment ago. _Videl was a wonderful person. _"Hai."

Looking into his older brother's eyes, Goten tried to be cheerful. "Well bro, look at the bright side!"

Gohan sighed. _Videl was perfect. _"There isn't one."

"Aw, come on!" Goten playfully punched the brooding Gohan in the arm, then brought his hand back in a quick motion, blowing on it. "Ow! Talk about muscular arms!"

At that, Gohan burst out laughing. "You should be more careful Goten-kun! You might hurt yourself!"

Goten smiled sheepishly. "Gomen. I'll be more careful next time."

_Careful...Videl was always careful...she loved to fight, but she would always be careful...especially ever since Pan was born..._ A lone, silent tear trickled down Gohan's face. Gokou saw this and opened up his arms, which Gohan stumbled into, weeping. Weeping over the loss of his love...his Videl...

"Wa - was it something I said?" asked a confused Goten.

Silence answered him, and GyuuMao gave him a quiet, curt nod.

"Excuse me, Mr. Son," interrupted a blue-haired man.

Quickly wiping away his tears, Gohan stood up and turned to the worker. His eyes were puffy, but something inside them was dark, as if they lay in the shadows. Pan looked up at her father, and even through her blurred vision, she could sense something different in his eyes. "Touchan..." she whispered, "You must be very, very sad."

"Yes, what is it Mr...?" asked Gohan, who had now straightened himself out.

"Yamada." The man reached out his hand formally, which Gohan accepted. "I am very sorry of your loss, Mr. Son. If you'd like, we could hold a funeral for Mrs. Son, or have her cremated or something...it's up to you."

Gohan's eyes turned another shade darker. "Leave her with me. I'll bury her."

Mr. Yamada nodded. "Very well. But I have some bad news for you. For some reason, there's absolutely no evidence of the person who murdered her. We've tried everything - fingerprints, clothing fibers, footprints, everything- but there's absolutely nothing! It's almost insane, we've never had a case like this before. The only sure evidence we have is that Mrs. Son was killed with a swift, strong blow to the head, and no bloodshed occurred. Any other traces of people in our house was only of Mrs. Son, yourself, and your daughter. I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do."

Anger swelled up in Gohan like a fury. "What do you mean nothing?! I want to know who did this to her!"

"Gohan-chan!" ChiChi quickly scolded. "If there's nothing they can do, there's nothing they can do!" Softly, she added, "But the rest of us will try. I'm sure Bulma will be able to get some leads on this case."

Gohan answered with silence. He refused to look at anyone, and stared off into the distance. Finally, he turned to Mr. Yamada and said quietly, "Arigatou. If there's nothing else you can do, please leave."

"Hai. Sayonara." The tall man left without another word. He called his crew together and they quickly gathered up their materials. Leaving quickly, it felt to Gohan like they had not been there in the first place.

"Hey Gohan, why don't you and Pan-chan come stay with Kaasan and I for a while? Maybe you'll feel better." Gokou smiled hopefully at his son.

"Yeah!" Pan slipped out of ChiChi's arms and rushed into Gokou's. She smiled for the first time since Videl's death. "I wanna stay with Ojiisan!" She looked over at Goten's still confused look. "Goten-ojisan, you're staying with us too, right?" she said sweetly.

Goten laughed, all confusion wiped off his face and replaced with a merry glee. "Sure, why not?"

"Yay!" Pan jumped into Goten's arms, giggling. "We can play games and have makeovers and spar and stuff!" she added excitedly.

"Sure, that sounds like fun," agreed Goten. "Wait a sec - makeovers?!"

Everyone but Gohan laughed, their tension slowly being released in their giggles. Smiling innocently, Pan clung on to Goten's neck, who lifted her up with a sigh. Gokou grinned at the two, his usual gleeful face back into place. "Well, I'm glad you got over that quickly."

"Well..." Pan turned serious at the comment, and nodded solemnly. Quickly, she replied, "I miss Kaasan...a lot...but I know that she'd want me to be happy." She looked up at the black-haired warrior with bright eyes. "And I intend to be."

Gokou gave another smile at his brave granddaughter. "Hey Gohan-kun, you're coming too, right?"

Shaking his head, Gohan replied, "Iie, Tousan, I want to be alone. I need time to think." His voice was soft and cheerful, but his dark eyes told otherwise. The others could feel the burden that had been dropped on the unlucky half-saiya-jin, for it shone through him as clear as a shard of glass. A broken, dangerous piece of glass, cutting through Gohan's vulnerable spirit like a knife.

"Sayonara, minna-san," Gohan added quickly before he flew off into the woods without another word. The others were left behind, standing and staring at the place Gohan had been just a moment ago.

"Talk about a quick exit," GyuuMao said in surprise. Solemnly, he added, "I hope the kid's alright."

Gokou looked worridly off into the distant sky. "Gohan's never acted this way before."

"He'll be alright." Everyone turned at the sound of Piccolo's monotone voice to find Piccolo's back turned to them. They couldn't see his face, but his voice showed enough confidence for them to believe him. "The kid's been through a rough time, but he's strong. He'll get over it... in time." With that, he let out a quick burst of ki and flew of toward the mountains.

"I believe in you, Gohan-kun," Gokou whispered softly so no one but Pan could hear him. Clearing his throat, he said, "Come on ChiChi, I'm getting hungry. Let's go home and have dinner!"

"How can you think about dinner at a time like this?!" ChiChi puffed madly. "My son is depressed and he needs our support!"

"Kaasan, I think we should leave Gohan alone for now," Goten told her gently.

"Nani? I will not leave my son in his time of need!" ChiChi protested. "Now, one of you pick me up and let's fly to him!"

Gokou sighed. "Hai, ChiChi-san." He picked up her wife and headed off, leaving the others in a trail of dust. Goten picked Pan off and flew low to the ground toward the Son house, and GyuuMao took the car that they had originally came in.

"Gokou! You're going the wrong way! This is the way to _our_ house!" ChiChi yelled.

Innocently, Gokou looked at her. "Is it? Ah, you're right ChiChi-san. Gomen, my mistake."

ChiChi smirked. "Well? Aren't you going to turn around?"

Gokou shrugged. "Iie, ChiChi-san. Let's just enjoy the view." He smiled, then gently kissed ChiChi's protesting lips.

The rest of the way home, ChiChi was quiet.

~***~

Gohan kicked a rock out of his way. _Yeah, like that's going to help._ Stupid rock. Stupid people. Gohan could feel his anger rising, bubbling up inside him like it had a mind of it's own. He was so mad...at everything... SO ANGRY! His hair rose in an aura of bright gold, and his eyes to a pale, cold green.

He screamed in rage, rocks and leaves whirling around him. Trees broke and fell to the forest floor with unheard thuds as Gohan's screams were blinded with anger, and his aura growing larger and brighter than the sun. 

Luckily, Gohan was far away enough from his home, and far enough from people to keep them from being harmed. But at that moment, Gohan couldn't have cared less. His Videl was gone forever, for reasons unknown and unexplained. _But why?_

_This isn't fair...life isn't fair. She didn't do anything; she doesn't deserve this! Why couldn't it have been me instead?_ Gohan's insides felt like bursting, his glowing rage growing larger as this thoughts became strong and clear to him. Too much power...too much anger...just too much.

Panting, the golden-haired boy fell to his knees, and the aura disenigrated at the same moment. Black eyes blurred as they welled up in tears, tears of loneliness and unforgiveness. They fell in unsteady streams, glistening as they hit the dull ground.

"Whoever did this to you...will pay."

One step at a time, Gohan carefully stood up with a gentle force, yet a fury of darkness vibrated from his body in a fierce rage. All Gohan could hear was his heart; pounding madly within him, with only the need to fight.

_No._ Gohan wiped his eyes with embarrassment, despite the fact that no one was around to see him cry in the first place. _It may not be fair...but I mustn't go crazy..._

"Videl," he whispered up to the heavens. "I'm coming to get you."

~***~

"There. Finished." Gohan knelt down sadly, patting the last pieces of stray dirt on the ground. His Videl laid underneath there, to rest peacefully for all time. 

Gohan looked around him, in reminiscence. This was the place where he first taught Videl to fly. He could still hear her stubborn voice, angry that she couldn't master bukujutsu right off the bat. He remembered the silence as she concentrated all her ki and steadily rose a few feet into the air. He could still hear her gleeful cries when she could finally soar across the sky, and as he watched her, her short hair whipped back behind her in joy. And he was proud of her. He was always proud of her.

He looked up into the sky with a slight smile across his features, brightening his face and making him look like an adorable little boy who had just wished for a puppy for Christmas. So full of hope...hope and wonder. "One day, Videl...I will be up there with you. And maybe we can be proud of each other."

Woo! You read this far! Sugoi! SUGOI! ^.^;; Ano… hope you liked it. =)


	3. Sayonara *Chapter Two*

Chapter two

Hee, me had fun with this chapter! Plz review again! Luv, ~Vivi-sama

Chapter two

A flurry of brushes, eyeliner, mascara pencils, and lipsticks were tossed into the air after quick usage. It was a mad scramble of cosmetic products, and Pan giggled every time she used one. Quickly adding a touch of lip liner, she reached for the handheld mirror and held it up to the face she was working on.

"Aaaahhhh!" screeched Goten in horror at the sight. "What did you do to me?!"

"Nani? You don't like it?" Pan asked innocently. "I thought you said you wanted to look good for your date with Parisu tomorrow!"

"Yes, I wanted to look good," agreed Goten. "But looking good doesn't fall under the category of 'drag queen'!"

Pan sighed. "You look beautiful, Goten-ojichan."

"I'm not _supposed_ to look beautiful Pan-chan! I want to look cute and fresh!" Goten protested.

"Cute...and fresh?" A sly smile played on Pan's lips, and she reached for some light blush.

Holding his hands up in front of him in surrender, Goten replied, "Did I say cute and fresh? I meant natural. Totally natural."

Pan shrugged. "So, we'll add some darker tones under your eyes and you'll be all set." She paused. "That was a good idea, Goten-ojisan. The blush would hide your eyes, but this should make them look more attractive."

"MATTE!" Goten cried before the dreadful cosmetic product could touch his face. "I mean, hold on. Can't we...can't we compromise a bit, my wonderful darling beautiful niece? Heh heh..." A sweatdrop appeared on his face, but he smiled persuasively to hide his fear.

"Hmph. You don't like my ideas, do you?" Pan accused him.

"No, no, they're great!" Goten objected. "But I just thought we should change my face a little bit, you know, take off some things..."

Pan looked over him, studying his features in deep thought. "Well...I guess we could get rid of the lipstick."

"The lipstick? I was thinking more along the lines of this purple eyeshadow."

"You don't mind the lipstick?" Pan said happily. "Well, then could I use a darker shade? It'll make your lips more noticeable!"

"Heh..." A look of dread appeared on Goten's face, but he quickly hid it. "Um...Pan-chan, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom before you do anything drastic - er, wonderful."

"Wait!" Pan looked angrily at her uncle. "You just want to wash off the makeup! How dare you!"

"Well, actually I was just gonna hide in there until - er, that is, I just need to go to the bathroom really bad," Goten said. "Really, really, really bad." He jumped up and down uncontrollably in his supposed urgent need to...well, to pee.

"You don't have to lie to me Ojisan," Pan said sighing. "But since you did, I won't let you go! You have to stay here until I finish your makeover!" She giggled at the thought, a playful smile protruding from her lips. "You'll look great Goten-ojisan, I promise!"

"Um...er, that is...uh..." Goten dashed out of the room, almost flying in his incredible speed.

"GOTEN-SAN!!!" Pan rushed after him, but it was too late. She pounded on the locked door, yelling at the top of her lungs. "Come out this instant! I told you I wasn't done!"

"Aw, Pan-chan, why don't we do something else? At least let me wash this stuff off! I mean, go to the bathroom."

"Goten-kun, I'm warning you! You know I'm perfectly capable of breaking this door down! And I don't care if you're in your boxers or not! So you BETTER come out RIGHT NOW!" Pan shouted.

"That'd be a good idea. Too bad you'd never hear the end of it once ChiChi finds out you've broken down the door," Goten replied. "And she's probably already mad since you're yelling so loud."

Sighing, Pan whined unhappily. "But Goten-oji_sa-an,_ it's not fair! Puh-lease can I finish the makeover? I promise I'll take off the eyeshadow!"

Silence answered her, and Pan could hear the loud stream of water rushing from the tap. She sighed again, knowing that all her work was for a lost cause.

Finally, the water stopped. "Pan-chan, I've got an idea. Why don't we spar a bit?"

"Spar?" Pan said. "I don't _wanna_ spar! I wanna finish your makeover!"

Goten wiped his face on a green towel. "You're only saying that because you know that I'm way stronger than you are."

"Nani?! Hey, don't you remember the last Tenkaichi Budoukai? I practically won! Well...almost."

"Key word: almost."

Pan puffed up in anger, and replied, "I bet I could knock you around easily Goten-kun! I'm a lot stronger than I used to be! You'll never be able to lay a hand on me!"

Chuckling, Goten opened up the door. "We'll see about that." In a swift movement, he charged at Pan, who barely had any time to dodge the attack. Grabbing her ankle as she moved, he pulled her downwards and she landed on the floor with a thud. "Not even a hand, eh?" Grinning, Goten flew out of the house and outside near the woods in a quick instant.

"Hey, wait!" Pan got up, dusting herself off. "I'll get you for that, Goten-ojisan," she said through clenched teeth. But her eyes sparkled with glee; she'd felt like she'd never had so much fun before... at least, not since her recent loss. In an instance, she was out of the house, and right beside her uncle. Smirking, she said, "Ready when you are."

"Ready for what?" a voice behind them said.

Pan whipped around. "Touchan? Touchan!" She dove into his arms, sighing in relief. "I was worried about you. So you decided to come stay with Ojiisan and Obaasan with me, ne?"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah...I think my head's on straight now."

"Hey Gohan, ya wanna spar?" Goten asked excitedly. "I'm really up for a good workout!"

Pan slapped her uncle's arm. "Hey, what about me? I thought I was going to be your sparring partner!"

"Don't worry, you still are," Gohan told her. He sighed, and she could see that the dark burden that hung on him before was still there, no better but no worse. "I think I'll go take a little rest. You guys have fun." Gohan walked into the house in a silent, almost surreal stroll.

"Tou...chan?" Pan said quietly. She turned to Goten. "Will he be okay?"

Goten looked confused. "He looked fine to me."

"He's your brother! Can't you even tell when he's feeling bad?"

"Um...still wanna spar?"

Pan sighed, then giggled. "Sure. I'll go talk to Touchan tomorrow. It's getting dark anyway, we should just spar for a little bit, then head inside."

"Hey, who said you get to make up the rules?" Goten protested, then shrugged. "Oh well, as the niece of such an incredibly handsome man, I guess you must have some kind of special privileges. Well, ready?"

"Yosh'!" Pan said happily with a giggle, then charged.

~***~

"Aw, come on ChiChi, it'll be fun!" Gokou said. "We haven't really done anything together for such a long time!"

ChiChi turned to look at her husband, her hands on her hip with an angry firmness. "Excuse me, but my son has just come, and I intend to make him feel as welcomed as possible! You don't just go barging off every time Gohan comes to visit!"

"Aw, but ChiChi!" protested Gokou. "What about me?"

"What about you?"

Gokou wrapped his arms around her persuasively, rocking ChiChi back and forth. "It'll be fun! Wouldn't you just love to bath in a nice, hot spring, and feel the bubbles soothe your skin? Didn't you say you needed a vacation?"

"Well...it would be nice..." ChiChi said thoughtfully, but went back to her original mood right after. "But I can't just leave Gohan in his time of need! I need to show him that we care about him!"

"ChiChi-san, he knows that," Gokou told her. "Gohan-kun is the brightest kid I know, and believe me, he knows at least that much. Now, let's just go, ne? He'll be fine!"

"Hmph." ChiChi sighed. "You always get your way."

"Me? Get my way?" Gokou almost choked. "Um...if you say so..." He picked up his wife and the flew out of the house, where Goten and Pan were sparring in a field of ki blasts. "Hey! Goten!"

Goten paused his attack, and turned to his father. "What's up Tousan?"

"Me and Kaasan are going off for a little while! Think you can take care of yourself?"

Goten smiled. "Sure."

"I'm only going because _he_ -" - she pointed accusingly at Gokou - "Is making me go!"

"Gee, Obaasan listening to Ojiisan?" Pan looked confused. "I don't think that's right. Isn't that supposed to happen the other way around?"

Gokou shushed her, then whispered, "I'm only going because I can tell your Tousan needs some time alone. I don't want you guys to bother him either, okay?"

Pan nodded. "Sure thing. Have fun Gokou-ojiisan!"

Smiling, Gokou flew off with a fuming ChiChi (who had heard everything) in his arms. "Bai bai!"

"Gokou, I can't believe you! How dare you bring me here just to make sure Gohan was totally by himself! You baka!"

"ChiChi?"

"Nani?" she asked impatiently.

"I love you."

"Oh..." ChiChi was taken aback, but quickly regained her composure. "I love you too, Gokou."

And they flew off into the distant night, the stars above twinkling upon them.


	4. Sayonara *Chapter Three*

Chapter three

*wipe brow* Wowies, more writing for me. This chap's mostly fightingnessness… hope you enjoy! ~Vivi-sama

Chapter three

_Kick, punch, dodge, attack. Kick, punch, dodge, attack._ Gohan repeated this over and over, training himself where Goten and Pan had sparred the day before. The sun had risen a couple hours ago, and he trained mindlessly, thinking of nothing but the loss of his Videl. Each kick reigned in anger, each punch in rage. He dodged with guilt, and his attacks were full of fury, powerful and uncontrollable. _Kick, punch, dodge, attack._

"Arg!" ChiChi stormed into Gohan's training field, her clothes ripped and sweat streaming down her face. Gohan was taken back with surprise. He hadn't even sensed her coming in his mindless training. "Your tousan is going to _get_ it!"

Gohan took a moment to get a trail of thoughts back into his head before he answered. "What did Tousan do this time?"

ChiChi growled at the question. "Okay, we're off relaxing in this hot spring, and all of a sudden, Vegeta comes out of nowhere, and wants Gokou to spar with him. Gokou agrees, and jumps out of the water - naked and all - in a hurry, grabs his clothes, and leaves! He didn't even say goodbye! Ugh!" ChiChi clenched her fists. "Some sweet guy he turned out to be! I had to walk all the way home through the forests, and it was NOT a pleasant walk!"

"Wow, you sound like Bulma-san for a moment there..." Gohan paused as him mother flashed her eyes angrily. "Ano...Here Kaasan, let me get you some clean clothes," Gohan said hurriedly. 

ChiChi smiled at her son, despite her anger. "Iie, Gohan-chan, it's alright. I'll do it myself. I need to take a bath anyway. It won't be as relaxing as the one in the hot spring _should_ have been, but it'll have to do." ChiChi headed inside, and Pan came out of the house at the same time.

"Oh, Obaasan!" she cried at the sight of ChiChi's ripped clothes. "What happened?"

ChiChi sighed. "It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later, Pan-chan. But right now, I have to take a bath."

"Hai, ChiChi-san," Pan said. As ChiChi trudged along into the house, Pan looked at her father seriously. "How is everything, Touchan?"

Gohan shrugged. "Fine, I guess." He looked around questioningly. "Hey, where's Goten-kun?"

"He's out on a date, remember?" Pan reminded him. She shook her head sadly. "I tried to fix him up, but he wouldn't let me." She sighed. "He would have looked so beautiful..."

Gohan smiled. "I'm sure he would have."

"Touchan?" Pan looked directly at her father. "I...I want to tell you something."

Gohan's face turned serious. "Sure, anything Pan-chan."

Pan cleared her throat, twitching her hands uneasily as she turned to look at the ground. "I...I feel...so lost," she whispered. Her face was innocent, but there was a sad confused look disturbing her features. "I still don't believe Kaasan's really gone, but I know she is...sometimes I can block out the fact that she's not here and have fun, but then...it always comes back...back to haunt me..." Her shoulders shook, and Pan stumbled blindly into Gohan's opened arms. "And...and I don't know what to do."

"Hai, Pan-chan, it's alright," Gohan reassured her. "I feel that way too. Except I can't even block out one moment and be not thinking about her. Well...only when I'm with you, Pan-chan."

"Really?" Pan gave her father a slight smile. "I'm glad."

"Me too," Gohan said. "Yes...I'm very...very glad."

"And sad?"

"And sad."

Father and daughter looked at one another in close silence, the bond between them strengthening it's hold. They stood there, silent and as still as the sky above. A breeze ruffled Pan's hair, and Gohan ran a hand through it to settle it back down again. "Touchan?" Pan whispered, breaking the silence.

Just as soft, Gohan replied, "What is it Pan-chan?"

"Arigatou." Pan's eyes sparkled, and a glimmer of brightness shimmered somewhere between the two. "I feel much better now."

Gohan smiled, his eyes bright and blurry. "Dou itashimashite, Pan-chan...dou itashimashite."

"I could stay here with you forever...I feel so safe..." the black-haired girl told her father. "Demo...I'm getting really hungry." A deep growl erupted from her stomach, and she wrinkled her nose in embarrassment.

Gohan belted out a laugh, and looked his daughter straight in the eye. "Your mother never really understood your obsession with food. We always ate so much, and she could never cook enough." He looked wistful, but with a grin, he pushed his daughter towards the house. "Go pig yourself out."

"You mean you're not hungry?" Pan asked, surprised.

"Iie, I'm fine," replied Gohan. He shrugged. "I'll just train myself."

"Do you want me to spar with you?" inquired Pan.

"Nani? Oh, no, that's okay," Gohan said. "Go satisfy your stomach." As if on cue, Pan's stomach made another rumbling noise.

With a sheepish smile, Pan said, "Hai, Tousan."

"ChiChi should be finished her bath now; maybe she'll cook something up for you if ask her."

Pan nodded, and gave a little wave. "See ya later, Touchan!" She rushed into the house with a happy smile.

"Sayonara, Pan-chan," said Gohan. As soon as his daughter had disappeared from sight, something in him changed. "Oh, Videl..."

Eyes darkening, he sighed and continued his mindless training.

~***~

"ChiChi-san!" Pan yelled, skipping upstairs gleefully. "ChiChi-san!"

Pan flipped on the hallway light, peeking into Gohan's former room. Books piled on top of each other in heaps beside the desk. "Wow...I know you said that ChiChi-san made you study a lot when you were younger, demo...that looks like a _lot_ of studying!" Shaking her head, she headed towards the next room.

"ChiChi-san?" Pancalled out again. She heard a refrigerator door open, and rushed downstairs, ready to satisfy her stomach. A thud sounded, and Pan stopped in her tracks. An uneasy feeling fluttered inside her, and she quietly tip-toed to the door of the kitchen. Whispering, she said, "ChiChi-san?"

Peeking inside, Pan muffled a scream. She rushed to the lifeless body scattered across the floor, and rocked ChiChi's shoulders back and forth in a desperate shake. "Obaasan! _Obaasan!_"

She turned to look at the still face, unmoving and innocent. Unknowingly, tears fell on to ChiChi's body from her only granddaughter, who wept for her loss.

"First Kaasan," Pan said through clenched teeth, "then Obaasan?! Who's next? Goten-ojisan? _Touchan? OJIISAN?!_"

Pan let out a scream of frustration, and Gohan came rushing into the room right after.

"Pan-chan! Are you alright? What's wrong?" Gohan asked breathlessly. He looked at the floor and gasped without thinking. In an instance, he was kneeling by her side. He grabbed ChiChi's wrist and concentrated, waiting for something miraculous to happen...but nothing did. "She's...gone."

~***~

Bouncing off his left hand, then his right foot, Gokou dodged each blast, pivoting from one place to another.

"Aah!" screamed Vegeta with each powerful blast he shot, his eyes darting, following Gokou's every move. He jumped up behind him, only to find that Gokou had disappeared a split second before. Growling, he blurred himself, darting upwards at an incredible speed.

Gokou paused mid-zanzoken, becoming silent and still. Sensing Vegeta coming up from below him, he attacked him head on. "Ka...me..."

A bolt of electricity splurged from his hands, and a bright ball of energy formed in his open palms. Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before he powered up a counter-attack. Sparks of energy zigzagged between his hands, and he let out growls of concentration.

"Ha...me..." Gokou opened his palms wider as the energy grew, and his brows knitted in concentration as he got ready to throw it. "HA!"

"Aah!" Vegeta's two balls of energy became one as they spiraled together towards the oncoming attack. The clash of the two energies collided in a huge explosion, as flashes of light screamed into the air, and each warrior was blown back by the gigantic force. Sand from the desert ground whirled in a treacherous typhoon, blurring the vision of both saiya-jins. Gokou felt for Vegeta's ki, and charged.

Vegeta had already gotten a hold of Gokou's presence, and led the lower-class saiya-jin in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Dodging a punch, Vegeta kicked at Gokou's abdomen, who blurred and reappeared behind him. Striking from his hands above his head, Gokou let out a cry as he attacked. Vegeta managed to turn around just before Gokou's hands made contact, but was instead smashed on his head and struck downwards. Recovering in mid-air, he dove upward at a prodigious speed, grabbing Gokou's leg before he could move and whirling him around in circles before he finally threw him to the ground. Sweat dripped off his face, and veins bulged out of his bulky arms. His lips curled in mockery and he wiped off his mouth as he watched Gokou hit the ground with a large thud. "Is that the best you can do Kakarotto?!"

Below, Gokou turned over, laying on his back. Getting to his feet, he looked up, a smile playing across his dirty face. Without blinking, he wiped off a trickle of sweat as he answered his reply. "I didn't come here to get beaten, Vegeta-san." He blurred, jumping from place to place, so fast that Vegeta wasn't able to sense him.

"_Kuso_," muttered Vegeta, his haste bringing him out of concentration. A slight shock passed through him, and he felt Gokou's ki hurling towards him. He smirked, and did a quick powerup, a flash of light thundering out of his body. "_Final Flash!_"

Gokou stopped abruptly in front of the saiya-jin prince as a burst of energy exploded from within him in a terrifying blast, and teleported himself to Trunks in an instant.

A purple-haired teen snapped his head up in surprise. "Gokou-san!"

Panting slightly, the saiya-jin warrior spoke quickly. "No time to explain, Trunks-kun. I just hope your tousan hasn't blown up the whole planet." He looked around, and shrugged. "Nah, I guess it's okay. Bai bai!" He felt for Vegeta's large ki, and teleported once again.

In an instant, he was back in the desert, their universal sparring field. Glaring, Vegeta looked at him, anger flaring in his eyes. "Damn you and your teleporting crap, Kakarotto," he growled as Gokou appeared before him.

Gokou smiled despite his glare. "I see you've learned how to control how much power you put into that attack. I'm impressed."

Vegeta snorted. "And since when are you not?"

"Ano..." Gokou paused, and scratched his head in a boyish manner. Tilting his head slightly, he gave Vegeta an innocent look. "Well Vegeta-san, sometimes you don't concentrate properly, so your anger gives you power but not the ability to control it, so -"

"_Kakarotto!_" Vegeta turned to him, his glare more intense. "I didn't ask for your opinion! And if I want it, then I'll BEAT IT OUT OF YOU!"

Gokou's smile disappeared, and he sighed. Vegeta smirked in response, his arms crossed as he physically stated his greater presence. "Baka! You're such a waste of my time! You'd think you fight back instead of running away with your stupid teleporting tricks. Sure, save Chikyuu once or twice, but run away when you see an attack coming at you." Sighing, Vegeta descended towards the ground, his chin up and his eyes a serious black. "Some warrior you are. And a waste of breath, too."

Gokou followed the saiya-jin's lead, landing silently as his hair was whipped back by the wind. Vegeta eyed him unapprovingly. "I only asked you to spar with me so I could get a proper workout."

"And I intend to give you one." Gokou yelled out a scream, his hair flaring upwards in spikes of gold. Pale green eyes smile at the saiya-jin prince of Vegeta-sei, then grew serious and took a battle stance.

"Took you long enough." Vegeta clenched his fists in concentration, and his hair transformed into a shocking pale blond. "_Ha!_" A golden aura surrounded him, and dust swirled in a frenzy, pulled by his powerful force.

And again, the two engaged themselves in brutal battle, only this time, their speed was even more unimaginable. Never pausing or taking their eyes off one another, hits were taken and dodged, and nasty comments flew through the air. Blasts from each warrior brightened the sky, flashing light as bright as the sun above.

"Tousan!" came a desperate cry. "Vegeta-san!"

"Ha - nani?" Gokou paused mid-blast. "Gohan?"

"Tousan!" The black-haired boy shook as if he battled with himself in a desperate attempt not to cry, flying upwards to his father. "Tousan! Kaasan's...kaasan's..."

Gokou grabbed his son by the shoulders, giving him a slight shake. "What's wrong with ChiChi?" he yelled. "Gohan? Gohan! Answer me!"

"She's..." Gohan gulped, his eyes misted. "She's...something bad happened to her...just like Videl..."

Gokou let go, shock overwhelming him. "You mean she's..."

"Passed into another dimension?" supplied Vegeta, his blank, fierce look never changing.

"It's...it's not a time to joke, Vegeta-san," Gokou said sharply, his hair returning to it's normal black, as he returned the Vegeta's glare."My...she's...ChiChi's..._Ah!_" screamed the saiya-jin, blasting off into the direction of his home. 

Vegeta looked behind him, eyeing Gokou's bright aura disappearing into the distance. He smirked, then turned to look at Gohan. "Well? You're not going to follow him?"

Gohan faced the prideful warrior, his eyes blank and unmoving. "I'm going to go...think. Sayonara, Vegeta-san," he said softly, turning away.

"Going off to cry?" Vegeta sneered in a gruff voice. "I don't recommend it. It makes you look weak." Without another word, he took off in different direction.

Gohan watched him leave, his eyes still filled with a wet nothingness. "No. I'm not going to cry, Vegeta-san," he called softly after him. He shook his head, drops of water falling out of his eyes. "I'm not going to cry at all."


	5. Sayonara *Chapter Four*

After writing this, I got inspired to write a B&V fic ^_^ Still haven't done that yet, but maybe in the future… Luv, ~Vivi-sam

After writing this, I got inspired to write a B&V fic ^_^ Still haven't done that yet, but maybe in the future… Luv, ~Vivi-sama

Chapter four

"Gomen, Son-kun," Bulma whispered into his ear. She watched him, his still reply too silent for her liking. She lifted her hand from his solid shoulder, her eyes misting as she looked at ChiChi's lifeless body. "We'll all miss you, ChiChi," she said quietly. "I know we all will."

She picked up the bag which held what little evidence she could find. She sighed, knowing it was practically impossible to find the culprit. No clothing fibres, no footprints, no nothing. Clenching her fists, she willed herself to believe that this killer - this satsujinsha - was out there, and she swore she would find him...or her. For Gokou's sake. This was the first time she'd seen him like this, and she didn't want him to be this way ever again. "Ja ne, Son-kun," she whispered, trying not to disturb the painful silence. "I'll see you later."

Throwing a hoipoi capsule, wind rushed out from in front of her, blowing Gokou's hair forward. But still, he stood there, his anguish silently filling the atmosphere. Bulma sighed once more, and hopped into the hover car. With a turn of a key, she drove off towards Capsule Corporation, leaving Gokou standing by himself in never ending silence.

~***~

Typing into the computer, Bulma's hands blurred in her swift movements. Genetic info was divided, bands of DNA chopped and examined, and all the results appeared on the screen in front of her. "_Kuso," she swore as the matchup for the hair strand proved to be Pan's. "This is hopeless! There's no positive evidence!"_

Banging her fists against the desk, she leashed out a frustrated cry. She paced around the room, her mind swirling in profound thought. "Okay...okay...ChiChi was killed by a blow to the head," she told herself, knitting her eyebrows over in deep thought. "Most likely, it was either a blunt object or someone's hand or foot. And...and it had to have been a quick strike, killing her on impact. Hai...hai, that's it..." She made a couple notes on the computer before collapsing in the chair, her eyes closed in discouragement.

The door opened and a bulky figure stepped in, his blue fighting gi clinging on to his body tightly. "It took you that long to figure that out?"

"Vegeta?" Bulma opened her eyes, only to hold her nose. "Vegeta, I think you need a bath. You really stink."

"Shut up, woman," Vegeta snapped. "I didn't come here to listen to your pointless comments."

"Well, sor-_ry. I should have known better than to talk to the all-mighty Vegeta," retorted Bulma. She glared at him, only to get the same look of arrogance from Vegeta. "Ooh, I'm sorry, should I call you Ouji-sama instead?"_

Vegeta walked over to her in a confident pace. Bulma held back a gasp, then scolded herself inwardly for being frightened by him. He was just a proud, stupid monkey...right? Vegeta took her chin and tilted it upwards, looking straight into her frightened - yet poised - face, smirking. Gruffly, he said, "You talk too much. Stupid woman." He leaned towards her, giving her soft, gentle kiss despite his strong presence.

Bulma felt another shock ripple through her, but this time it was of delight. Vegeta pulled away, and Bulma's eyes opened up to see Vegeta's sneering face. "Maybe that will shut you up."

"Hmph." Glaring, Bulma pushed him away roughly with cold hands, but Vegeta kept his place with ease. "Chikusho!" she spat at him.

Vegeta sighed, eyeing the computer screen. "I guess nothing can shut you up. Sometimes you talk too much for your own good." He moved over to the monitor, studying the complicated display. The slight tip of his lips twisted upwards, half-smiling, half-mocking. "Oh, so Pan's the satsujinsha? You know, I have to hand it to you. You really _are stupid."_

"Arg!" Bulma's temper cut short, fusing out like a dead bulb. "Leave me alone, _will you?! Can't you juststop with your stupid remarks for once? That's all you do - tell me how stupid I am! What kind of hobby is that?!"_

Vegeta looked at her, a genuine look of puzzle scattered on his face. "Telling you how stupid you are isn't my hobby. It's telling you how _ugly you are." He studied her steaming face, and smiled. "You really __are stupid if you didn't figure that out by now."_

Despite his unnecessary comment, Bulma couldn't help feeling drawn to him at the smile. It was something he rarely did, and it always felt like she was discovering something new every time he did...discovering something precious, like a diamond buried deep into the depths of Chikyuu. "Vegeta..." Quickly, she shook her head, snapping herself out of her trance. "You're the baka here, now just _leave me ALONE!"_

Vegeta shrugged. "Iie, I think I'll watch for a while." He leaned against the wall, now silent, his eyes following Bulma's small movements. "Well? Are you going to get to work or just stand there all day watching me? I must admit, I _am a prince of admiration, and you are __extremely lucky just to be in the same room as me, but you probably should get to work." The half-smile still planted on his face, he crossed his arms and looked at her expectedly._

"You and your big ego," muttered Bulma, turning around and settling herself back in the comfy chair. "Now, let's see..." She continued to type more things in, but they were pointless and she sighed as the outcomes that came up were irrelevant.

Vegeta watched her type, the screen changing often but full of unrelated material. Nonchantly, he said, "You do know that the satsujinsha is probably someone we know, don't you?"

"Huh?" Bulma snapped out of her thinking trance and turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

Vegeta sighed. "Baka. Obviously, the satsujinsha is someone who were around a lot with. Videl and ChiChi are both family members. The person has to be hanging around here somewhere. Maybe he's out for the Son family."

"Or she." Bulma almost slapped herself for not thinking of that obvious opinion; it made total sense. She couldn't believe that Vegeta thought of it...or that he was being so helpful. Well...part of the time, anyway.

"But it's also kind of strange that they were just killed by simple blows to the head, both of them," Vegeta pointed out.

"Uh...what do you mean by that?" Bulma felt stupid by not knowing what he meant and what he was trying to say, but at this point she was desperate to find out who the satsujinsha was. Remembering Gokou's look of sorrow made her heart feel hollow and empty...as Gokou's must be right now.

Vegeta looked at her, and sighed again. "You're a bit slow, but I'll tell you anyway. I'm just saying that it probably would have been easier to just kill those weaklings -"

"They're not weaklings!" Bulma hissed at him.

Vegeta glared at her. "Don't interrupt me, woman."

"Hmph." Bulma crossed her arms, Vegeta-style, and allowed him to continue on.

"It would have been easier for them to be killed by ki blasts." He shrugged. "But it would have made the satsujinsha more easier to find, since only certain people can use that."

"Ki blasts?" said Bulma. "But...but only you guys know how to use those!"

Vegeta looked at her silently, his eyes dark and intentional.

Bulma gasped at his assumption. "No...you must be wrong..." she backed up from her chair, staggering as reality struck her. "But...but it couldn't be Son-kun, I know that much for sure...or sweet Gohan-kun, or Pan-chan. Goten-kun would never do anything like that, and neither would Trunks-kun! Or maybe..." her eyes darted, a feeling of uneasiness overcoming her. "Maybe it was Piccolo... or Yamucha, or Ten Shin Han...or Kuririn!" She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the unwanted thoughts. "But no, none of them would do a thing like that!"

Vegeta remained silent, a blank look accustoming itself to his rigid face. Bulma jumped toward him, grabbing his hands in anxiety. "Vegeta! Vegeta, do you know who it is?" She looked down at his red, almost bruised hands, then back up to his face. "Do you?"

"Let go." Vegeta looked down at her worried expression, and something inside of his cold eyes softened. "No, I don't...not yet, anyway."

Bulma stole another look at his hands, and her face turned white with apprehension. "Vegeta-san...your...your hands..." she trailed off, fear dispersing across her face. "They're so...red...like you've...you've..."

For a moment, Vegeta was confused. Shrugging he said, "I've had worst bruises. Don't worry yourself about me." At Bulma's still pale face, he watched her curiously. Then a scowl deepened his dark features, and he answered harshly. "Kusoyaro! You think I'm the satsujinsha?! If you haven't noticed, I was sparring with Gokou for the last few hours!"

Vegeta growled at the sight of Bulma's unconvinced expression. "Baka! How ugly AND stupid can you be?! Out of my way!" He shoved her to the side, and stormed out of the room, calling behind him. "Stupid woman!"

"Vegeta-san..." Bulma trailed off as colour returned to her face. "It can't be...but I don't know what to think...oh, Vegeta...."

*gasp* Is it Vegeta-sama? Is –he- the satsujinsha? Find out next time, on ::Sayonara:: ^_~


	6. Sayonara *Chapter Five*

Next to Gohan and Trunks, my fav character is the famous green one we must all bow down before

Next to Gohan and Trunks, my fav character is the famous green one we must all bow down before! -)( He's so great ^_____^ Wise, strong, hot nameksei-jinneshnesh… juuust kidding. (I think.) But.. but… just r&r, and I'll luf ya forever! ;) Luv, ~Vivi-sama

Chapter five

Ripping up the ground, the wind cut through the earth like a steel blade as dirt pelted through the air. The force erupted from a green figure standing in the mist of all the chaos, swirling around him in a fierce hurricane. Screaming, the nameksei-jin directed the force in front of him at the large mountain. Another scream, and the mountain ripped itself from the ground and rose into the air slowly, rocks falling off the bottom and instaneously pushed away from the vacuum created.

Eyes closed, sweat beaded down the figure's face as he breathed in slow, deep gasps. Steadily, the mountain continued to rise upwards, until it's peak pushed away the clouds above and dispersed it into puffs of vapor.

"Piccolo-san..." Gohan whispered in awe. The wind pulled his orange gi away from his body as he stood silently behind the green form.

Out of nowhere, the cloaked figure opened his eyes in an abrupt stare, palms wide open. Thundering towards the ground, the mountain fell out of it's place in the sky. Impacting into the very depths of Chikyuu, it shook it's foundations in a rough tremble. The figure relaxed his tense stance, and floated to the ground, his white cloak trailing above him like a servant to a king. Landing with a soft tap, his body stood as still as a rock, and his cape fragilly hovering on the edge of the strong breeze. "What's wrong, kid?"

Gohan's eyes opened in surprise. "You knew I was here?"

Piccolo turned to face the young saiya-jin. "I felt you coming a long distance away." His eyes burned into Gohan's, but there was a touch of gentleness melted into them. "You don't mask your ki too well when you're worried, Gohan."

"Ano..." Gohan blushed in his haste, then gave a small laugh. "Demo...ah, you know me too well, Piccolo-san. I just came to talk -"

"-About all your losses?" Piccolo placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder, a small smile creeping over his face. Softly, he said, "You're strong, kid. Don't worry about it." He watched Gohan's eyes dart uneasily to the ground, and crossed his arms. "Guess I'm in for a long talk, ne?" he said, his eyes smiling kindly.

"H-hai, Piccolo-san." Gohan gave a sheepish smile, then sat down on the rock behind him, resting his face in his hands. "Videl..." He blinked furiously, burying his face even deeper into the palms of his hand. He sat silently for a few minutes, and Piccolo patiently waited for him to speak.

"I...I know I need to be strong..." Gohan gulped. "Mostly for Pan, but...I can't. I know she feels lost, but I think I'm even worse off." He sighed, tilting his head upwards at the scattering clouds, as if he were looking for something...searching for something. "I know Vegeta-san would kill himself before he admit to weakness, but I just can't...can't be strong."

"It's not a weakness, Gohan."

"Nani?" Gohan eyed his mentor, a puzzled look creeping across his face. "What do you mean?"

Piccolo turned sideways, watching the landscape sink into the horizon. "Only times like these can make you get stronger. Either you wither away in your loss, or accept it and move on. And Gohan, there's never been a time where you haven't moved on." He gave the younger boy a solemn nod, and looked on. 

"Are...are you sure, Piccolo-san?" Gohan asked. "What if just kills me inside until...until I can't escape it anymore?"

"Then fight it. You know you have to." Piccolo turned back towards Gohan, then past him into the distance, almost with a look of regret. "Besides, the satsujinsha is still out there, and that's something else you have to fight."

Gohan clenched his fists with anger. "This killer - this satsujinsha - I have to seek vengeance for Videl-san and Kaasan!"

"I'm glad." Unmoving, Piccolo kept a firm gaze forward. "I think this satusujinsha, whoever it may be, is someone that only you can fight, Gohan. You're the only one he's really after; you're the only one he wants."

"How do you know that, Piccolo-san?" Gohan's adult face suddenly transformed back to his young, unknowing one - his vulnerable one, full of fear, but with innocence as well. "What's gonna happen to me?" he whispered with a fear no one should ever experience.

"No one controls your destiny more than you, Gohan. You must learn to not only face it, but to change it," Piccolo said wisely. "Fate may be carved in stone, but sometimes it's etched in sand. This time, it's etched in sand."

Gohan nodded, and finally smiled, his body relaxing. "Arigatou, Piccolo-san. You've helped me a lot."

"Anytime, kid. Anytime."

"Then I'll see you soon, Piccolo-san?" asked Gohan hopefully.

"What do you expect me to do, run away every time I sense you coming?" said Piccolo, and Gohan laughed.

"Iie, I guess you're stuck listening to me then. Sayonara, Piccolo-san!" Gohan stood up, getting ready to leave.

"And Gohan?"

"Nani?"

"I just wanted you to know," Piccolo began quietly, "that I know exactly who the satsujinsha is."

Startled, Gohan almost fell over at the abrupt statement. "Ba - wa - _doitsu?! _WHO?!"

Piccolo turned his back to the shocked saiya-jin. "I don't want to cause any disturbance for anyone, Gohan."

"But Piccolo-san! If I know who it is, I can get vengeance for Videl-chan and Kaasan! Please, tell me who it is!"

"You'll figure that out soon enough." Piccolo kept his firm stance, never moving an inch. "Besides, if everyone else knew, they'd have their own ways to deal with this satsujinsha. I think it's best that we figure things out for ourselves."

"But Piccolo -"

"I just told you, it's better this way."

"H...hai, I understand..." Gohan breathed deeply, trying to calm the tense reaction from Piccolo's words. "I...I think so, anyway."

"Good." With a small smile, Piccolo rose into mid-air, leaving his cloak dangling beneath him. "If you want to spar or just talk - you know where to find me, kid." Another burst of ki, and he flew out towards the desert lands.

"Hai, Piccolo-san," said Gohan. He watched the figure quickly disappear, until not even a speck of his mentor could be seen. "So Piccolo-san knows who this killer is." He clenched his fists, building up a sweat from the rage that not bubbled up inside him. He felt a deep growl rumbling, the blood of a true saiya-jin rushing through his veins like a wild cheetah. "_Satsujinsha!"_

His cry echoed throughout the plain, animals perking their ears up at the angry sound, and one green figure stopped flying and turned. "Gohan..."

"I know you're out there somewhere, _satsujinsha," Gohan said with clenched teeth, eyes twisted in an evil glare with the satsujinsha's sure fate. "My Videl, my kaasan...where you are, whoever you are...you will pay...and I __will make sure of it."_


	7. Sayonara *Chapter Six*

I like this chapter, only it makes me feel sad every time I read it… Chichi can be annoying sometimes, but if Goku-san loves h

I like this chapter, only it makes me feel sad every time I read it… Chichi can be annoying sometimes, but if Goku-san loves her, then she's still important. Plz r&r, peeps! Luv alwayz, ~Vivi-sama

Chapter six

As the wind gently lifted his hair upwards, Gokou stood, still as a rock, staring at the dead body laying in the coffin halfway buried into the ground. The sun kept it's calm glare on the grieving saiya-jin, but still a dark shadow remained casted over his eyes. After hours of staring in nothing but silence, the thoughts whirling around his head like a storm were finally clearing up. "Oi, ChiChi-chan...I miss you so much."

He knelt downwards, falling to his knees as if admitting defeat to a great warrior. The wind continued to ruffle his hair, as if it were the only part of him that remained touchable. Everything else was too hard, too...hollow. "I never..." A lone tear trickled down his cheek, and Gokou left it there to continue it's descent. "Never...got to say goodbye..."

His mind flooded once again, this time not with thoughts of despair, but memories of the past.

_Gokou shrugged, looking around the Tenkaichi Boduokai arena. A hand tapped his shoulder, and he turned around to see a young, pretty girl. "Ah, Gokou," she said._

_"Who are you?" asked Gokou._

_Her eyes shot up in surprise, and she growled at him. "Chikusho!" She turned around abruptly, huffing madly._

_"Wha...what's her problem?" Gokou asked his friends. _

_"Go - Gokou! Who's that?" Yamucha said in return._

_Kuririn watched as she walked away in anger. "She's hot!"_

_"I don't know." Gokou shrugged innocently. "Never seen her."_

_ _

_"Did we already meet?"_

_"YES!" she cried in return, continuing her attack on the still puzzled Gokou._

_"Really? When?"_

_"You forgot! That's why I'm mad!" Stubbornly, she continued to attack, Gokou dodging each kick and punch with ease. "You don't understand the heart of a young girl! I waited for you for a long time!"_

_ _

_"Son Gokou, you promised to take me as your bride!"_

_Kuririn gasped behind the battle arena. Gokou looked at him, curiosity innocence scattered across his face. "Kuririn! Tell me...what does 'bride' mean?"_

_"Baka! It means you have to marry her!"_

_"Really?" Puzzled, the young man scratched his head in deep thought. "I always thought it was some kind of food!"_

_"To get married is to spend the rest of your life with someone!" cried Yamucha._

_"Live together? Us?!" squeaked Gokou in disbelief. "I really promised you that? Demo...who are you? What's you name?"_

_A smirk, and a wide smile. "Ha! If you beat me, I'll tell you!"_

_"Really?" Gokou gave a sigh of relief. "I was worried I might have to spend the rest of my life with someone who's name I don't even know!"_

_"Hey! You think you've already won? I'm not as weak as you think!" She took a battle stance and her eyes grew serious. _

_"Hai!" Gokou sped towards her, and she was blown out of the ring in an instant._

_She smashed against the wall, but recovered and stood up. "I...I didn't know you were so strong! I did well to choose you as my husband."_

_"Ano..."_

_"You still don't remember?" The girl glared at him, intent glowing in her eyes. "I am ChiChi, the daughter of GyuuMao!"_

_"CHI-CHI?!"_

_ _

_"We need to give him a name," GyuuMao said carefully, looking down at the floor. Gokou shrugged, but ChiChi stood up happily._

_"I've already thought of one!" ChiChi said proudly. "Einstein! It's the name of a famous scholar."_

_At that, the little boy in the crib burst out in tears. ChiChi leaned over and picked him up, rocking him gently in her arms. _

_"I don't think he likes that name," her father said._

_"What ideas do you have tousan?" ChiChi asked._

_"Eh? Well, I do have a few names in mind," he noted, then walked over to the other end of the room and picked up a scroll. He opened it, and the end slid along the floor, lengthy and filled from the very top. ChiChi and Gokou looked on in wonder as he began to read out the long list. "Gyuu Mao Taro, Gyuu Mao Suke, Gyuu Mao Noxking, Gyuu Mao Shin, Gyuu Mao -"_

_"Wah!" wailed the little boy in ChiChi's arms. Tears flew out of his eyes as he clung on to ChiChi's shirt._

_ChiChi looked up from the boy to her father, a grin across her face. "He doesn't like your names either, Tousan."_

_"No?" he looked down with a sigh. They each sat down, and stayed silent in thought as the clock patiently ticked by.Gokou joined them, resting his chin on a chair and looking straight forward. The little baby boy amused himself by waving his chubby arms in the air and making funny noises._

_Finally, both father and daughter stood up and stared at Gokou. ChiChi looked at him straight in the eye, daring him to cower downwards. "Gokou, have you thought about it?"_

_"There must be at least one name!" GyuuMao added._

_Gokou's gazing look turned serious, and he stood up, his eyebrows locked in a respectful manner. "Hai."_

_Both ChiChi and GyuuMao nodded encouragingly._

_"Ano..." Sheepishly, Gokou stuck his hands behind his head. "You know, I'm really hungry!"_

_Eyes opening widely, both people promptly fell over on their faces. "Gokou!" said an angry ChiChi. What kind of nonsense is that?! You just had breakfast!"_

_A kawaii giggle came from the crib and ChiChi kept on shouting. "You're not a kid anymore! You can wait until lunchtime!"_

_"Ano...gomen, ChiChi-san," Gokou apologized, a feeling of dread creeping up against him as he watched her stern face._

_More laughs erupted from the crib, and GyuuMao leaned over to see the little boy's happy face, smiling and giggling happily. "ChiChi! Come here!" shouted GyuuMao._

_"Nanda?!"_

_"Listen!" He looked intently at the small kid. "Breakfast...ano, asagohan!"_

_"Heehee!" giggled the boy, waving his arms in the air with glee, then paused in his laughter and watched his ojiisan continue talking._

_"Lunchtime...hirugohan!"_

_He belted out once again, innocent and kawaii as ever. ChiChi and Gokou leaned in together as one, watching their son go into hysterics over this one word. "Gohan!" GyuuMao cried again._

_Gokou turned slowly to look at the four star dragonball laying on top of a pillow beside the ticking clock. "Oi...just like Ojiisan..." He picked up the little boy, and he laughed cheerfully. "Gohan...you'll be Son Gohan...eh, and you're happy too, ne?" He held him up high and entertained Gohan with funny noises as Gohan giggled in reply._

_"Ah, Gokou-san..." ChiChi said in happy wonder as she watched her husband and son in such a memorable moment._

_ _

_The three walked quietly through the woods, ChiChi and Gokou exchanging peaceful glances at one another while Gohan reached out of the stroller at flowers and butterflies that flew through the air. Gokou gently pushed the stroller with one hand, and ChiChi gasped in delight at the sight before them. "Look, Gohan-chan! Birds!" She smiled in awe. "A family of three of them, just like ours!"_

_"Hai," Gokou agreed, lifting his hand to shade the sun from his view._

_"A...ah..." Gohan's stroller steadily moved down the path, carrying the confused boy with it. _

_"You see that, Gohan-chan?" ChiChi turned to look at him. "Gohan-chan?!" she cried, as both she and Gokou turned to find him almost twenty meters away from them, running at an incredible speed. Gohan's cries rippled through the air as the frightened boy was carried away quickly. Both parents rushed after him in despair, and Gokou took to the air in a quick frenzy. Soon the boy reached a tree, his stroller crashing into it first, then in a spark of power, came Gohan. Gokou caught him just in time, as ChiChi rushed to the scene. "Gohan-chan! You're alright!" Gohan giggled happily in return. "Tousan saved you."_

_"I didn't save him," said Gokou. _

_"Of course you saved him," ChiChi said, sighing with relief before she look up with angry eyes. "But you shouldn't have let go of your hand! You have to be more careful next time!" She looked down at the cheerful Gohan in her arms. "You tousan is pretty outrageous, ne? Let's leave him alone."_

_"ChiChi, wait!" Gokou cried as she turned and left. "Ano...gomen..."_

_ _

She was always doing that. ChiChi would be so concerned about Gohan, and leave him out in the cold. Of course, it was always Gokou's fault, but he couldn't help being clumsy sometimes. Gokou sighed. But sometimes it was her strictness that made him love her, the power she always held before him that made him respect her.

_"You're probably the only one in the world who doesn't have a license!" ChiChi screamed._

_Gokou looked behind him. "Piccolo doesn't have one either."_

_"What would I do with one?!" Piccolo took his arms out it's crossed position in protest._

_"You are BOTH going to town tomorrow to the driving school to get a license!" ChiChi shouted again, in strong demand. Fact decided, she crossed her arms in relief. "It'd be a good chance for you to learn a new skill."_

_"Na - nani?" Piccolo's face looked terrified, his green features held up in shock._

_Trying to reason, Gokou replied, "But I can't just stop training like that!"_

_"I am not going to listen to your arguments! You are both going to take a break from training and learn how to drive!" ChiChi turned in defiance, then looked back at the two gawking warriors. "And if you don't, I won't cook for either one of you!"_

_Both warriors nodded meekly, and another battle against the great ChiChi had been lost._

_ _

Gokou sighed again. Sometimes ChiChi was too demanding, and he never got time to do what he wanted most. But other times...other times he should have listened to her and not go off to train...then maybe she wouldn't be where she was right now.

_"This is so relaxing," said ChiChi, finally smiling. "I'm glad we came here."_

___"Hai, it's a nice place, ne?" __Gokou commented, resting his elbows on the side of the rocks. Their bodies rested in steaming hot water, and the mist enveloped them in their own world. Gokou leaned over and removed the band around ChiChi's bun, and she closed her eyes in relaxation._

_Dipping her head backwards into the water, ChiChi pulled up her silky, clean hair. She let her arms float on the water's surface, savoring each moment in ecstasy. __"Arigatou, Gokou-san."_

___"Eh? For what?"_

_"For bringing me here." Another smile, and she moved up beside the muscular saiya-jin._

_"Ah. Dou itashimashite, ChiChi-san!" Gokou slipped deeper into the hot spring, hoping that Gohan was alright._

_ChiChi stroked her fingers through her long hair, closing her eyes once again. Softly, she said, "Is something disturbing you Gokou?"_

_Surprised, Gokou's eyebrows hot up in instinct. ChiChi wasn't always observant of his feelings, and she must have been extremely relaxed to be so calm and compassionate. "Ano...I was just hoping that Gohan was doing okay by himself."_

_"Gohan-chan's a good boy, I'm sure he's doing great," ChiChi replied composedly. "I'm so happy that he decided to be a scholar and not risk his life fighting."_

_Gokou smiled at his wife's serene state. It felt to him like this was the first time since the battle with Majin Buu that they were finally happy together. The tense wall that bordered between them was finally broken down, and it reminded him of the time they had just gotten married. Due to his ever-lasting saiya-jin blood, his excitement made him want to fight rather than just relax with his wife in the nice hot spring. Which was perfect, because he felt a familiar ki flying towards him._

_"Kakarotto!" Vegeta's voice rang out. "Spar with me."_

_"Great timing!" Gokou said happily, jumping out of the spring. He bowed his head respectfully at the saiya-jin prince. "Hai, Ouji-sama, let's go!"_

_"Gokou!" ChiChi screamed as he slipped on his gi, drying himself in a second by flaring his ki. "Where are you going?!"_

_"Oi ChiChi, I'm going off the spar! Have fun!" He made a quick escape with Vegeta, leaving a fuming ChiChi screaming behind him. _

_"GOKOU-KUN! You just can't leave me here! How am I going to get home?"_

_Vegeta looked behind his shoulder in disgust, then at Gokou. "Can't you shut that woman up?!"_

_Gokou shrugged. "If you leave her alone for a while, she quiets down. Oi, ChiChi! I'll come back to get you, so stay there!"_

_"Baka," Vegeta spat. "She can't hear you."_

_"Well, she'd have enough sense to stay there and wait for me."_

_Vegeta sneered. "I don't think so. Looks like I know her better than you do, Kakarotto."_

_"Eh? Gokou looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"_

_ _

_"Oi, ChiChi..." Gokou's tears fell freely on to the ground, and he wept like a broken child, something he had never done before in his life. Blindly, he gathered up the courage to finish burying her. Each handful of soil felt like a ton, which should have been easy, demo...it wasn't. It wasn't at all._

Small steps tiptoed behind him, and a soft voice spoke. "Gokou-ojiisan? Are you okay?"

He wiped his tears carefully on an orange sleeve, and looked into the distance. "Hai, Pan-chan," he replied softly. "I'm fine."

The young girl knelt down beside him, and looked into his vague eyes. "What were you doing ojiisan?"

"Eh? Oh...just thinking," Gokou answered with a small smile. "Just remembering."

"Remembering obaasan?"

"Hai, remembering ChiChi-chan."

Pan looked up to the sky. "Do you think they're watching us? Kaasan and Obaasan?"

"Ano..." Gokou began, "maybe...they'll always be out there, somewhere..." He hugged Pan gently, and she leaned in at the warmth of his body. "And as long as we're happy, I'm sure they will be too."

Pan nodded. "You're right. I just hope that the satsujinsha is gone for good." She hugged Gokou tighter. "I don't want you to leave me."

"Iie, I don't have any plans of leaving soon either," replied Gokou.

"Good." Pan followed Gokou's outward gaze. "Sayonara, Obaasan."

"Sayonara, ChiChi-chan," Gokou repeated after her, finally letting go of the guilt that shielded his heart ever since he learned his ChiChi was gone. "Sayonara....watashi wa dai anata, ChiChi-chan. I love you."


End file.
